2179.010 Pilostyles Guill.

Minute parasitic plants borne within the branches of woody legumes (specifically Julbernardia and Brachystegia). Flowers unisexual, appearing only on smaller branches of the host. Perianth segments 4-12, free, persistent. Male flowers: stamen filaments connate into a column around a central column; the column bearing an apical disk fringed with papillae and surrounded by sessile anthers. Female flowers: ovary inferior bearing a fleshy disk; style short with capitate stigma. Fruit a spherical berry, surrounded by persistent bracts and perianth segments.

Derivation of name: from the Greek: pilos a cap and stylos a pillar, referring to the capitate stigma at the apex of the style.

Worldwide: 11 species in tropical and subtropical America, tropical Africa, Turkey to Iran and SW Australia.

DRC: 1 taxon.